Good idea but too flimsy

Well i needed an edge guild and i didn’t want to order away for one so i got this milescraft edge guide. it is a good concept. it comes with a “swiss cheese” base that can be used on almost all routers which it able to be put into the edge guide and then you twist the router in the edge guide and it locks the router in. also they have a turnlock bushing that they include which is the same concept of the base. just insert it and twist to lock it down. as i said it is a good concept but i gave it three starts because it just seems to flimsy. the base i feel isn’t held in the edge guide firmly enough but it is the opposite for the bushings which i felt were held in really nice and tight. also the extension reel is not stiff enough and sags when you pick up the router and nothing is supporting it. i don’t think that it locks down well enough either. even when tightened as tight as i can get it i still feel like it might be able to be moved. all in all this is a good purchase for someone looking for a router edge guide that will be a once in a while use but if you need to use it often then i would say do yourself a favor and order away for a nicer and sturdier one.

Good to know. I haven’t used my router for arcs/circles much. I do need it sometimes, but have done ok with substitutes. How difficult do you think it would be to create a sturdy shop built guide? I would think a little cheap MDF would hold up well. You could use a hardwood base plate to attach to a MDF arm. It would be heavy, but I can’t imagine it getting off course in normal operations. Might have to give it a shot next time the application is needed.

I’ve had this same one (although slapped with the Craftsman label) for about a year now, yes the arm piece isn’t rigid when unsupported, but when performing the edge guiding or circle routing operations this thing is designed for, it’s fine. Maybe not for daily usage, but for once or twice a week stuff it’s great!

One HUGE flaw to this is the knobs, they are completely soft plastic and the plastic strips out on the first try… I had to grab 1/4-20 star knobs from Rockler to actually use this thing…